


Cuisine

by AuroraNova



Series: The Vadari Chronicles [22]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Established Relationship, Garak in love, M/M, Post-Canon, Slice of Life, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22297714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova
Summary: “Surely you don’t think Kara will stop inviting you over for dinner if this meal doesn’t meet expectations."Julian cooks. Garak reflects. (Everything is fluffy and nothing hurts.)
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Series: The Vadari Chronicles [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1336183
Comments: 23
Kudos: 149





	Cuisine

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to abandon this scene because it went nowhere and then I realized, you know what, it doesn't need to go anywhere. It can be hearts and rainbows all by itself, even if that's not the overall tone of this series. So here it is, one slightly sappy vignette.

It is not news to Garak that he has wholeheartedly embraced sentiment when it comes to Julian. The rewards, he has at length concluded, outweigh the inevitable vulnerability. On occasion he now finds himself blindsided by some trivial thing which elicits great fondness and immense appreciation that out of all the people in the universe, Julian chose him.

In this particular instance, the precipitating factor is watching Julian carefully measure out spices for dinner. When he makes up his mind about something, there’s no deterring him, and some weeks ago he decided that he ought to have Kara and Lutro over for dinner. Therefore he commenced applying himself to the mastery of a meal he can share with confidence. After considerable trial and error, he found such a dish, and now he’s making it for his friends with endearing concern over somehow ruining it.

Here is a man capable of brain surgery, fretting over the precise measurements of spices because he doesn’t want to disappoint his friends. It’s so very _Julian_ that Garak cannot help but smile as he watches.

“Surely you don’t think Kara will stop inviting you over for dinner if this meal doesn’t meet expectations,” he says. It still feels strange to refer to her by first name. On the other hand, Garak has to admire her bold insistence that he do so lest she start using his first name.

“Of course not,” Julian replies, without looking up from the spoonful of turmeric he’s leveling. “She said she wasn’t offended if I don’t have them for dinner, but it just feels wrong.”

“Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I was under the impression the O’Briens hosted you for meals without reciprocation.”

“Replicated meals,” says Julian. “And I could book holosuite time with Miles, or babysit in a pinch, so it didn’t seem one-sided.”

Since Kara enjoys cooking, Garak doesn’t see the problem. Regardless, he at least likes the meal Julian selected for the evening. Curries are one of humanity’s better culinary accomplishments. Those and chocolate covered cherries, for which Garak has an unfortunate weakness.

“You know, until I made this recipe, I thought cinnamon was only for desserts,” says Julian.

Garak has gotten the distinct impression that he can’t rely on Julian for any authoritative information on cooking. Until Vadari VII, Garak had vastly more experience in food preparation than Julian, and barely less experience making human food, for that matter. Clearly Julian’s parents did not subscribe to the theory, common on Cardassia except among the very wealthy, that everyone should know the basics of feeding themselves as a matter of principle.

Julian diligently reads the label on the spice jars. He learned not to skip this step after a regrettable incident where he put cayenne pepper in a dish when he meant to use paprika, resulting in a completely inedible dinner and no small amount of frustration with himself. Paprika can be consumed in much larger quantities than cayenne pepper. Garak’s tongue was tender for two days, and he’d only taken a single bite of the ruined meal.

In short order Julian has the spices measured, mixed, and added to the counter along with every other ingredient he needs. He then begins cooking the rice according to his carefully planned schedule.

Let it never be said that Julian Bashir does anything in half measures.

This enthusiasm, the proclivity to throw himself wholeheartedly into anything he deems worth doing, is one of Julian’s most alluring traits. Thus Garak is content to watch him cook. And if in the privacy of his own thoughts Garak marvels that he of all people gets to enjoy, on a daily basis, the myriad ways Julian devotes himself to showing how deeply he cares – well, that’s no one’s business but his own.

The dinner is a great success, and Julian is delighted with his accomplishment. Garak is simply delighted with Julian.


End file.
